Small Shoot

[Ballymac]

We hope to rear/release 200 birds on a diy shoot. We have pens and feeders and drinkers sorted in the pens but what are the costs of feeding 200 poults?

Also we need to set up feeders around the shoot, so how many would be needed? We have around 90-100 acres consisting of farm pasture, bog heather/gorse and forestry.

 

Any tips/help regarding feeding rearing or anything connected with rearing/releasing is appreciated. What is best in the early stages, which wormer etc.

 

Also how can we hope to hold birds (within reason) is that down to the number of feeders, is it better to feed the rides?

 

I have seen that keeping partridge in pens holds them in an area, would this work with pheasant.

[malantone]

our break down of costs for 700 birds has just been circulated , for your 200 cost should be :- 6 bags grower2 £54

18 bags of release £153

2 ton wheat £400

we use Flebenvet wormer as per instructions not sure what thas gonna cost.

We start on grower2 pellets in feeders in the pen then move onto release pellets ( lower protein ) as you get down to the last few bags mix with wheat to wean them of pellets

 

last year we fed straw rides ( big round bales rolled out) and fed daily with a mix of wheat cracked maize and sunflower hearts mixed with aniseed oil, this produced our best %tage in 6 years of 44% the birds held well in our 300 acre wood

We put a couple of feeders on each ride, and place the rides where we want the birds. number 1 tip don`t put feeders where you see birds put them where you want the birds to be.

 

I believe penning partridge after the start of the season in order to hold them on the ground is illegal

 

good luck if I can help let me know

Tony A.

Edited May 3, 2012 by malantone

[Pheasant Feeder]

our break down of costs for 700 birds has just been circulated , for your 200 cost should be :- 6 bags grower2 £54

18 bags of release £153

2 ton wheat £400

we use Flebenvet wormer as per instructions not sure what thas gonna cost.

We start on grower2 pellets in feeders in the pen then move onto release pellets ( lower protein ) as you get down to the last few bags mix with wheat to wean them of pellets

 

last year we fed straw rides ( big round bales rolled out) and fed daily with a mix of wheat cracked maize and sunflower hearts mixed with aniseed oil, this produced our best %tage in 6 years of 44% the birds held well in our 300 acre wood

We put a couple of feeders on each ride, and place the rides where we want the birds. number 1 tip don`t put feeders where you see birds put them where you want the birds to be.

 

I believe penning partridge after the start of the season in order to hold them on the ground is illegal

 

good luck if I can help let me know

Tony A.

Pretty sound advice.

 

The only thing I used to do different was I bought medicated pellets which contained flubenvet, once poults were settled in pen for a couple of weeks I'd deliberately let the feeders get low (but not run out) then replace all feed with the medicated pellets. This was on the advice of the gamefarmer.

[Ballymac]

Thanks for that info. In regard to penning the partridge, they were released but came back to the pens themselves. They were not deliberately held over a season, they would be released in morning but had access back to pens. I assume that most shoots would have release pens and would hold some stock back to make sure they have enough birds for the whole season.

[al4x]

I assume that most shoots would have release pens and would hold some stock back to make sure they have enough birds for the whole season.

 

 

you assume wrongly most do not hold birds for later season its against most codes of conduct etc

[Martin g]

When you put out your feeders where you want the birds to be driven from, put out drinkers aswell.. Would be a good idea to have a covered fenn trap running as well near your feeders, because besides feeding your birds you will be providing food for pests and vermin.

[malantone]

Thanks for that info. In regard to penning the partridge, they were released but came back to the pens themselves. They were not deliberately held over a season, they would be released in morning but had access back to pens. I assume that most shoots would have release pens and would hold some stock back to make sure they have enough birds for the whole season.

when you release the partridge you need to remove the roof netting, to claim they came back on their own but then couldn`t get back out would be wrong.

once again good luck Tony A.

[worthy130]

you assume wrongly most do not hold birds for later season its against most codes of conduct etc

 

+1

[Ballymac]

Ok guys thanks for that. I am new to this and just trying to find out the info, its not what I have done.

 

In regard to feeders, is it better to feed straw rides or have a number of feeders (what sort of numbers) scattered around. In regard to not making it easy for rats mice etc to get at the feed, other than setting traps what else should we be looking at doing.

 

We are looking at getting 150 birds.

[malantone]

Ok guys thanks for that. I am new to this and just trying to find out the info, its not what I have done.

 

In regard to feeders, is it better to feed straw rides or have a number of feeders (what sort of numbers) scattered around. In regard to not making it easy for rats mice etc to get at the feed, other than setting traps what else should we be looking at doing.

 

We are looking at getting 150 birds.

We went from about forty feeders spread around the wood to four straw rides fed every day, in addition to a couple of drum + spring feeders on each ride. we also left two or three feeders in each (2) release pen, and 4 or five spread around the outside of each pen.

The idea was to keep the birds near the pens, and the rides would stall wanderers from going to far, with drives designed to send birds back home to the pens, hope that makes sense.

We have some live catch cage traps set around for mink, and squirrels, some fens set in tunnels for weasel, stoats and rats, also some snares for foxes. You are always going to feed half the wood with grain the traps are to protect the poults rather than feeders. we wrap the feeder legs with sheep netting upside down it lets birds in and keeps deer and badgers out, you may need to fasten your feeders to a tree or post to keep them upright

Edited May 9, 2012 by malantone

[Ballymac]

Hi Malantone, thanks for that. We intend putting drum and spring feeders in place and feeding straw rides. I just hope we have not bit off more than we can cope with. It is getting people to share the workload. Feeding straw rides and filling drum feeders will work out easier. It is the vermin control in the area as this ground has never been used and there are plenty of grey crows and magpies and grey squirrel about. Without doubt there will be mink and stoat (no weasels in ireland) around.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Ballymac

[malantone]

Hi Malantone, thanks for that. We intend putting drum and spring feeders in place and feeding straw rides. I just hope we have not bit off more than we can cope with. It is getting people to share the workload. Feeding straw rides and filling drum feeders will work out easier. It is the vermin control in the area as this ground has never been used and there are plenty of grey crows and magpies and grey squirrel about. Without doubt there will be mink and stoat (no weasels in ireland) around.

A good ladder trap or larsen wil take care of crows and magpies, livebox traps or No4 fen traps will sort the squirrels mink and stoats, get a good trap line going it an be good fun,

asfor getting people to work, no work, no shoot its that easy

 

ladder traps are difficult to make, see link for plans

 

 

 

http://www.crowbuste...om/crowtrap.htm

Edited May 9, 2012 by malantone